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CONSTITUTION 



AND 



BY-LAWS 



— OF - 



THE ORDER OF THE 



FOUNDERS AND PATRIOTS 



OF AMERICA 



THioiyORE foCH, SeCBKTAET GsfHEKAL, 

120 BboadwaT, New York. 



CONSTITUTION AND 
BY-LAWS 



OF 

/ 

THE ORDER OF THE 

FOUNDERS AND PATRIOTS 

OF AMERICA 



REVISED APRIL lO, I900 



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INDEX TO CONSTITUTION. 



PAGE 



I. Name 

II. Objects . . . . 

III. Organization 

IV. General Court 

V. Societies of the Order . 

VI. Founders of the Order 

VII. Members of the Order . 

VIII. Insignia, etc. 

IX. Amendments 



7 

7 
8 

9 

i6 
i6 

19 

22 



INDEX TO BY-LAWS. 



PAGE 



I. Officers of General Court ... 23 

II. Officers of Societies .... 28 

III. Membership 34 

IV. Funds 36 

V. Notices 37 

VI. Amendments 37 



PREAMBLE. 

Recognizing Almighty God as guiding our an- 
cestors to this land, to establish, through their 
descendants, not a Colony, but an independent 
sovereign Christian nation, destined by Him to oc- 
cupy a commanding place among the nations of 
the earth ; and, to protect and defend liberty in all 
the Western Hemisphere ; and, recognizing that 
the foundations of the nation were laid, in the perils 
and hardships of the first half century, by our 
ancestor settlers of that period, rather than in the 
years that followed ; and, recognizing that, neces- 
sary to the end for which our ancestors came, was a 
patriot progeny, in the time of the Revolutionary 
struggle, out of which our country came to be inde- 
pendent, and our nation came into being — for our- 
selves, and those who may associate with us, we 
have formed an Association, founded on descent 
from such ancestry and their patriotic descendants : 

Therefore, to that end, we adopt the following 
Constitution : 



CONSTITUTION. 



ARTICLE I. 

NAME. 

The name of this Association is "The Order of 
the Founders and Patriots of America." 

ARTICLE II. 

OBJECTS. 

The objects of the Order are : 

1. To bring together and associate men whose 
ancestors struggled together for Hfe and Hberty, 
home and happiness, in this land, when it was a 
new and unknown country, and whose line of de- 
scent from them comes through patriots who sus- 
tained the colonies in the struggle for independence 
in the Revolutionary War. 

2. To teach reverent regard for the names and 
history, character and perseverance, deeds and 

7 



8 

heroism, of the founders of this country and their 
patriotic descendants. 

3. To inculcate patriotism in the Associates and 
their descendants. 

4. To discover, collect and preserve records, 
documents, manuscripts, monuments and history 
relating to the first colonists, their ancestors and 
descendants. 

5. To commemorate and celebrate events in the 
history of the colonies and the republic. 

6. Other historical and patriotic purposes. 

ARTICLE III. 

ORGANIZATION. 

The order shall consist of : 

1. A General Court, to be known as " The 
General Court of the Order of the Founders and 
Patriots of America." 

2. A Society in each State, District or Territory 
of the United States, and in such foreign States 
and Countries as the General Court may authorize, 
each of which, prefixed with the name of the politi- 
cal division in which located, is to be known as 

'' The Society of the Order of the 

Founders and Patriots of America." 



9 
ARTICLE IV. 

GENERAL COURT. 

Section i. The General Court shall consist of 
the Founders of the Order ; also all past General 
Officers ; also all General Officers, Councillors 
General, and Officers of the several Societies of the 
Order, during their respective terms of office ; pro- 
vided, however, that no person shall be a member 
of the General Court unless he shall be at the time 
an Associate in orood standinor in one of the Socie- 
ties of the Order. 

Sec. 2. The Officers of the General Court shall 
be a Governor General, a Deputy Governor Gen- 
eral, a Chaplain General, a Secretary General, a 
Treasurer General, an Attorney General, a Regis- 
trar General, a Genealogist General and an His- 
torian General, each to hold office for one year, or 
until his successor is elected and installed. There 
shall also be nine Councillors General, three of 
whom shall be elected each year, each Councillor 
General to hold office for three years, or until his 
successor is elected and installed. The Officers 
and Councillors shall constitute the Council Gen- 
eral. They shall be elected at the annual meeting, 
by ballot. No Officer of the General Court shall 



lO 

be elected to the same office for more than two 
successive terms, except by a unanimous vote. 

Sec. 3. The annual meeting of the General 
Court shall be held on the 13th day of May in 
each year, or at such other time, as near as may be 
thereafter, as the Council General may determine. 
The General Court may hold such other meetings 
as it may determine by rule, order or resolution, or 
as may be called by the Governor General. The 
Governor General shall call meetings on request 
of nine members of the General Court. 

Sec. 4. Nine members shall constitute a quorum, 
at all meetings of the General Court. 

Sec. 5. In General Court each member thereof 
shall have one vote, except that, when a vote is 
taken by Societies, each member shall have one 
vote, and each Society shall have as many votes as 
it has enrolled Associates, in good standing, to be 
cast as a unit, unless any Society shall otherwise 
direct, and shall so certify to the Secretary Gen- 
eral, in which case the vote of such Society shall be 
divided as nearly as may be equally among the 
members present from such Society and cast by 
them severally. One third of the members, pres- 
ent in person at a meeting, may demand that any 
vote be taken by Societies, when the vote shall be 



II 

cast in person. All other votes may be cast in 
person or by proxy. 

Sec. 6. The General Court shall have and ex- 
ercise the following powers : 

1. The chief executive, legislative and judicial 
powers within the Order, and the general regula- 
tion of its affairs. 

2. To entertain, hear and decide all appeals 
and complaints by any Society, or by an Associate, 
and to regulate the cases in which appeals may be 
taken. 

3. To advise concerning any question arising 
under the Constitution or By-Laws of the Order 
when requested by any Society or its Council. 

4. Upon application of any nine Associates of 
the Order, residing in any State, District, Terri- 
tory or Country in which no Society of the Order 
exists, to constitute them and those whom they 
may admit, pursuant to the Constitution and By- 
Laws of the Order, into a Society of the Order for 
the political division in which they reside, and to 
fix a time and place for the first meeting, and grant 
such Society a charter. 

5. To issue all diplomas of membership, all in- 
signia and rosettes. 

6. To provide, order and direct the form, and, 



12 

on such terms as it shall fix, issue to the Societies 
of the Order stationery and blank applications for 
membership, also circulars or pamphlets setting 
forth the purposes and objects of the Order, and 
reo^ulate the use thereof. 

7. To require from Societies of the Order such 
reports, returns and statistics of Associates, of 
funds, and of other information, and the payment 
of assessments, as it may from time to time order. 

8. To revoke or suspend the charter of any 
Society, for failure to obey the requirements of 
the Constitution or By-Laws of the Order, or for 
nonuser of its rights and privileges. 

Sec. 7. No debt shall be incurred, or money be 
appropriated, or any action be taken affecting prop- 
erty, without the consent of at least three of 
the Councillors General. No liability shall be in- 
curred, or appropriation made, exceeding one hun- 
dred dollars, except by a two thirds majority of the 
votes cast in the General Court or Council Gene- 
ral, such vote to be cast in person. 

Sec. 8. The expenses of the General Court 
shall be provided for by the sale of diplomas, in- 
signia and rosettes, and by pro rata assessments 
upon each of the Societies according to its respec- 
tive number of Associates. The General Court 



13 

or Council General may enforce payment of said 
assessments, by the revocation or suspension of the 
charter of any Society refusing or neglecting to pay 
the same, and such Society shall thereupon be de- 
barred from representation in the General Court, 
but, upon payment, may be reinstated. 

Sec. 9. The headquarters of the Order shall be 
in the city of New York. 

ARTICLE V. 

SOCIETIES OF THE ORDER. 

Section i. Each Society hereafter organized 
shall hold its membership in the Order by virtue 
of a charter from the General Court. After the 
receipt of its charter, the Society shall forthwith 
adopt a Seal, which shall not be changed, except 
by a two thirds majority of the Associates present 
at an annual meeting. Any Society may be incor- 
porated under the laws of its own State, District, 
Territory or Country, if a majority of its Asso- 
ciates present at an annual meeting shall elect to 
do so. 

Sec. 2. The Officers of each Society shall be a 
Governor, a Deputy Governor, a Chaplain, a Sec- 
retary, a Treasurer, a State Attorney, a Registrar, 



a Genealogist and an Historian, each to hold office 
for one year, or until his successor is elected and 
installed. There shall also be nine Councillors, 
each Councillor to hold office for three years, or 
until his successor is elected and installed, pro- 
vided, however, that the Society shall divide the 
Councillors first chosen into three classes, one class 
to serve one year, one two years, and one three 
years, or until their successors are elected and in- 
stalled. The Officers and Councillors shall consti- 
tute the Council. They shall be elected at the 
annual meeting, by ballot. No Officer of any So- 
ciety shall be elected to the same office, for more 
than two successive terms, except by a unanimous 
vote. 

Sec. 3. Each Society shall hold an annual meet- 
ing, at such time and place, before the month of 
May, as its Council shall determine. I^ach Soci- 
ety may hold such other meetings as the Society 
or its Council may direct, or as may be called by 
its Governor. 

Sec. 4. Nine Associates shall constitute a 
quorum, at all meetings of the Society. 

Sec. 5. At meetings of the Society, <'ach Asso- 
ciate shall have one vote. Associates !nay vote by 
proxy at any meeting, if the Society s lall so deter- 



15 

mine, or the laws of the State, District, Territory 
or Country so provide. 

Sec. 6. Each Society may regulate its own af- 
fairs, subject to the provisions of the Constitution 
and By-Laws of the Order. 

Sec. 7. Each Society may organize Chapters, to 
consist of not less than nine Associates, and grant 
charters thereto ; and may revoke or suspend any 
such charter, for the failure of any Chapter to obey 
the requirements of the Constitution or By-Laws 
of the Order, or for nonuser of its rights and privi- 
leges. 

Sec. 8. Each Society may provide for the sus- 
pension, or dropping from the rolls, after reasonable 
notice and an opportunity to be heard, of any Asso- 
ciate in arrears for dues, after they shall be due and 
payable for one year, but, upon payment, he may 
be reinstated by the Council. Any Associate, sus- 
pended or dropped from the rolls for non-payment 
of dues, shall not hold office in the Order, or sit in 
the General Court, during such suspension or unless 
reinstated. 

Sec. 9. No Society of the Order shall have the 
power to incur any debt or enter into any continu- 
ing obligation, except on Its own behalf, and not on 
behalf of the Order, nor on behalf of the General 



i6 

Court. No debt shall be incurred, or money be 
appropriated, or any action be taken affecting 
property, without the consent of at least three of 
the Councillors. No liability shall be incurred, or 
appropriation made, exceeding fifty dollars, except 
by a two thirds majority of the votes cast in the 
Society or its Council, such vote to be cast in 
person. 

Sec. io. Each Society shall forthwith determine 
the location of its headquarters, which shall not 
thereafter be changed, except by a two thirds 
majority of the Associates present at an annual 
meeting. 

ARTICLE VI. 

FOUNDERS OF THE ORDER. 

Those persons, nine in number, who, on the i6th 
day of March, 1896, subscribed the Certificate of 
Incorporation of the New York Society, and formed 
the Order, are hereby recognized as Founders of 
the Order. 

ARTICLE VII. 

MEMBERS OF THE ORDER. 

Section i. All members of the Order shall be 
active members of a Society of the Order, except 



17 

as hereinafter provided, and shall be called '' Asso- 
ciates." 

Sec. 2. Any man of the age of twenty-one years, 
of good -moral character and reputation, and a citi- 
zen of the United States, who is lineally descended, 
in the male line of either parent, from an ancestor 
who settled in any of the Colonies now included in 
the United States of America, prior to May 13, 
1657, and one or all of whose intermediate ances- 
tors, in the same line, who lived in the period of the 
Revolution, from 1775 to 1783, adhered as patriots 
to the cause of the Colonies, shall be eligible to 
membership in the Order, except as hereinafter 
provided. 

Sec. 3. The sons of any Associate shall also be 
eligible to membership, provided they shall be of 
good moral character and reputation and citizens 
of the United States. 

Sec. 4. No person shall be admitted an Associ- 
ate of the Order, without previous investigation into 
and ascertainment of his qualifications for member- 
ship. Each Society may provide for the manner of 
such investigation and ascertainment, and of the 
mode of election of its Associates, subject to the 
Constitution and By-Laws of the Order, and may 
reject any applicant who may not be acceptable to it. 



i8 

Sec. 5. Any person who shall have obtained 
membership by intentional misrepresentation or 
concealment, as to his qualification for member- 
ship, or who shall be guilty of any violation of the 
Constitution or By-Laws of the Order, or who 
shall be guilty of conduct unbecoming a patriot or 
a good citizen, after due inquiry and hearing, shall 
be expelled from membership in the Order. Any 
person who shall have obtained membership by or 
through an innocent but material misstatement or 
non-statement, shall, after due inquiry and hearing, 
be dropped from membership in the Order. 

Any person who shall have obtained member- 
ship as the son of an Associate of the Order, shall, 
after due inquiry and hearing, be dropped from 
membership, in case it shall appear that his father 
was not qualified for membership. 

Sec. 6. Each Associate shall pay an initiation 
fee and one year's dues, and sign the Constitution 
and By-Laws of the Order, either in person or by 
proxy, within three months after notice of election 
to membership. If he shall fail to comply with 
these conditions within the time specified, without 
suf^cient reason being given, his election shall be 
void. 

Sec. 7. An Associate of one Society of the 



19 

Order may be transferred to another Society, upon 
his written request, under such regulations as the 
Society of which he is an Associate, and that to 
which he seeks transfer, may prescribe. 

Sec. 8. Membership in two or more Societies, 
by the same person, may be authorized and regulated 
by the several Societies. All persons must first 
become Associates of a Society, if any, in the State, 
District, Territory or Country within whose juris- 
diction they reside. 

Sec. 9. The General Court may by a three 
fourths vote elect to honorary membership such 
Associates as shall have rendered distinguished 
service to the Country or to the Order. Honorary 
members shall be exempt from the payment of 
dues. 

ARTICLE VIII. 

INSIGNIA, ETC. 

Section i. The Insignia of the Order shall be 
a badge of gold, as follows : 

Obverse — Upon a radiated star, or a cross, 
enamelled gules ; thereon the effigy of an officer, in 
Continental uniform, surmounted by that of Cap- 
tain Miles Standish, habited in morion and breast- 



20 

plate ; both effigies within a chaplet of oak and 
laurel leaves, all or. 

Reverse — Upon a radiated star, or, a star of 
thirteen points, enamelled azure ; in its centre, the 
arms of the United States, in relief, within a white 
circle, inscribed *' Steadfast for God and Country," 
all or. 

A gold swivel ring, pendant from a larger gold 
ring, shall suspend the badge from a ribbon. 

The Ribbon of the Order shall be of watered 
silk, one and three quarter inches in width, the 
colors of which, reading from dexter to sinister, 
shall be azure, argent, sable, argent and gules. 

The Rosette, or Button, of the Order, shall be 
one half inch in diameter, of watered silk ; in its 
centre, a cross, gules, upon a white field ; on its 
edge, or rim, the colors azure, argent, sable, gules, 
argent and sable. 

The Flag of the Order shall be the Flag of the 
United States of America, as regulated by Act of 
Congress. 

The Standard of the Order shall be a field, 
aigent, surmounted by a cross, gules ; on a canton, 
azure, a constellation of thirteen stars of the first. 

The Seal of the Order shall be two and one half 
inches in diameter, as follows : 



21 

Upon a shield, or, a Continental soldier, at atten- 
tion, habited proper, surrounded by a constellation 
of thirteen stars, azure ; upon the centre of the 
chief, a ship of the Seventeenth Century, under 
full sail, proper ; above the shield, the dates 1607- 
1657 ; beneath the shield, the date 1776 ; the whole 
surrounded by an annulet, gules, inscribed ''The 
Order of the Founders and Patriots of America " ; 
in exergue, 1896 ; the edge, beaded ; the field, or. 

Sec. 2. The membership Diploma, Insignia, 
Ribbon and Rosette, or Button, shall only be issued 
from and by authority of the General Court, under 
such regulations as it from time to time may pre- 
scribe, and may from time to time be changed, but 
only by the General Court at an annual meeting 
and by a two thirds majority of all the votes cast, 
the vote being taken by Societies, provided the 
change has been proposed by one Society of the 
Order, and notice thereof given by it to the Secre- 
tary General, and to the Secretary of each other 
Society of the Order, at least one month before 
the annual meeting of the General Court. The 
same notice and vote shall be necessary, to change 
the Seal or Standard of the Order. 



22 

ARTICLE IX. 

AMENDMENTS. 

This Constitution may only be amended at an 
annual meeting of the General Court, by a two 
thirds majority of all the votes cast, the vote being 
taken by Societies ; provided the amendment has 
been proposed by one Society of the Order, and 
notice thereof given by it to the Secretary Gene- 
ral, and to the Secretary of each other Society of 
the Order, at least one month before the annual 
meeting of the General Court. 



BY-LAWS. 



ARTICLE I. 

OFFICERS OF GENERAL COURT. 

Section i. The Governor General shall be the 
official head of the Order, and shall perform such 
duties as pertain to that office. He shall preside 
at all meetings of the General Court and the 
Council General. He shall appoint all commit- 
tees, unless otherwise ordered by the General 
Court or Council General. 

Sec. 2. The Deputy Governor General, in the 
absence of the Governor General, shall perform his 
duties and exercise his powers. In the absence 
of the Governor General and Deputy Governor 
General from a meeting, a chairman pro tern, shall 
be chosen to preside. 

Sec. 3. The Chaplain General shall perform 
such religious services as may be called for by the 
General Court or the Council General. 

Sec. 4. The Secretary General shall keep the 

23 



24 

minutes of all meetings of the General Court and 
the Council General, and shall have charge of the 
Constitution, By-Laws, Seal and General Records 
of the General Court and Council General. He 
shall give due notice to each member of the Gene- 
ral Court of Its meetings, and to the members of 
the Council General of their meetings. He shall 
conduct the general correspondence of the Order 
under the direction of the Governor General, keep 
a record of all checks countersigned by hlrn, and 
perform such other duties as may be required of 
him by the General Court, or by the Council Gen- 
eral. All the books, records and papers kept by 
him, or In his charge officially, shall be the prop- 
erty of the Order. He shall make a report in 
writing at the annual meeting of the General 
Court, and at such other times as the General 
Court or the Council General may direct. 

Sec. 5. The Treasurer General shall collect and 
receive all funds belonging to the General Court, 
and deposit the same to the credit of the Order, 
in such manner as the General Court or Council 
General may direct. He shall give such bond as 
may be required by the Council General. He 
shall pay out money only as the General Court or 
Council General shall order, by check, signed by 



25 

him and countersigned by the Secretary General. 
He shall make a full and classified report, in writ- 
ing, of money received and paid out, at the annual 
meeting of the General Court, and at such other 
times as the General Court or Council General 
may direct. He shall keep full and accurate ac- 
counts in books, to be the property of the Order, 
which shall always be open to the inspection of any 
officer of the General Court. 

Sec. 6. The Attorney General shall be the law 
adviser of the General Court. He shall have 
charge of and supervise the proceedings relating 
to the formation of Societies of the Order. 

Sec. 7. The Registrar General shall have the 
custody of all duplicate applications for member- 
ship, shall examine the same, approve or disap- 
prove thereof, and advise the Registrar of the 
Society, from which they come, of such approval 
or disapproval, within one month after their sub- 
mission to him, and the reason therefor when dis- 
approved, which approval or disapproval shall be 
manifested before the admission of an Associate, 
subject to appeal to the General Court, which ap- 
peal shall be submitted to the Genealogist Gen- 
eral, for examination and report, by the Registrar 
of the Society concerned therein. The Registrar 



26 

General shall give a number In the Order to each 
Associate, In the order of the notification of the 
elections. He shall keep a roll of all Associates 
of the Order, the Society to which each belongs, 
the residence of each, and his number in the Order. 
He shall make a report in writing at the annual 
meeting of the General Court, and at such other 
times as the General Court or the Council General 
may direct, and perform such other duties as the 
General Court or the Council General may require. 

Sec. 8. The Genealogist General shall examine 
and report to the Council General upon all appeals 
from the decision or want of action of the Reofistrar 
General, which shall be submitted to him for that 
purpose, within one month after their submission to 
him, and shall at the same time advise the Registrar 
of the Society, from whom he received such appeal, 
of the result of his examination. 

Sec. 9. The Historim General shall have the 
custody of all documents and papers relating to the 
genealogy and history of liu first colonists, their 
ancestors and descendants, which may be in the pos- 
session of or loaned to the General Court, which 
shall be subject to the use and control of the Gen- 
eral Court or Council Cj:m:iral, and shall, when 
necessary, be subject (o the inspection of the 



27 

Genealogist General. He shall make report in writ- 
ing, at the annual meeting of the General Court, and 
at such other times as the General Court or the Coun- 
cil General may direct. He shall perform such 
other duties as the General Court or the Council 
General may require. 

Sec. io. The Council General shall exercise the 
powers of the General Court, when the General 
Court is not in session. Five of its members shall 
constitute a quorum of the Council General. Meet- 
ings of the Council General may be called by the 
Governor General, or, at the request of five of its 
members, must be called by the Secretary General. 
The Council General may, by rule, order or reso- 
lution, provide for its own meetings. The Council 
General may remove from office any Officer or 
Councillor of the General Court, for any violation 
of the Constitution or By-Laws of the Order, or 
for conduct unbecoming a patriot or a good citizen, 
but only after an opportunity to be heard, and, 
pending the inquiry, it may suspend the person so 
charged and delegate his duties to another Asso- 
ciate. 

Sec. 1 1. In case any person, elected as an Officer 
or Councillor of the General Court, shall fail to file 
with the Secretary General, within one month after 



28 

notice by mail of his election, an acceptance in 
writing, the Council General shall appoint an Asso- 
ciate to fill the position until the next annual meet- 
ing of the General Court. The Council General 
shall fill all vacancies in the General Court, until 
the next annual meeting of the General Court. Any 
OfTficer or Councillor of the General Court may re- 
sign, by mailing his resignation to the Secretary 
General. 

ARTICLE II. 

OFFICERS OF SOCIETIES. 

Section i. The Governor shall preside at all 
meetings of his Society, and of its Council, and per- 
form such duties as usually pertain to a presiding 
oiftcer, or as the Society or its Council may require. 
He shall appoint all committees, unless otherwise 
ordered by his Society or its Council. 

Sec. 2. The Deputy Governor, in the absence 
of the Governor, shall perform his duties and exer- 
cise his powers. In the absence of the Governor 
and Deputy Governor from a meeting, a chairman 
pro tem. shall be chosen to preside. 

Sec. 3. The Chaplain shall perform such relig- 
ious services as may be called for by his Society or 
its Council. 



29 

Sec. 4. The Secretary shall keep the minutes 
of all meetings of his Society and its Council, and 
shall have charge of the Charter, By-Laws, Certifi- 
cate of Incorporation, Seal and Records of his 
Society and its Council. He shall keep a roll of 
Associates of his Society, and a mailino^ address 
book for the post-office address of Associates. He 
shall give due notice to each Associate of his So- 
ciety of its mxeetings, and to the members of the 
Council of their meetings. He shall keep a book, 
containing the Constitution and By-Laws of the 
Order and the By-Laws of his Society, to be signed 
by all Associates of his Society. He shall conduct 
the general correspondence of his Society, under 
the direction of its Governor, keep a record of all 
checks countersigned by him, and perform such 
other duties as maybe required of him by his So- 
ciety or its Council. All the books, records and 
papers kept by him, or in his charge officially, shall 
be the property of the Society. He shall make a 
report in writing at the annual meeting of his 
Society, and at such other times as the Society or 
its Council may direct, and a copy of such report 
and copies of all printed papers shall be sent at 
once to the Secretary General for the information 
of the General Court. 



30 

Sec. 5. The Treasurer shall collect and receive 
all funds belonging to his Society, and deposit the 
same to its credit, in such manner as his Society or 
its Council may direct. He shall give such bond 
as may be required by the Council. He shall pay 
out money only as his Society or its Council shall 
order by check, signed by him and countersigned 
by the Secretary. He shall notify all Associates 
of their election, and collect their fees and dues. 
He shall notify the Council, and also the Secretary, 
of all Associates in arrears for six months, also of 
the failure of a person elected to membership to 
pay his fee and dues within three months. He 
shall make a full and classified report, in writing, 
of money received and paid out, at the annual 
meeting of his Society, and at such other times as 
the Society or its Council may direct. Pie shall 
keep full and accurate accounts in books, to be the 
property of the Society, which shall always be open 
to the inspection of any Officer of the Society. 

Sec. 6. The State Attorney shall be the law 
adviser of his Society, and perform such other 
duties as the Society or its Council may require. 

Sec. 7. The Registrar shall have the custody of 
all blank applications for membership, and shall 
issue the same as required or provided by his 



31 

Council. He shall receive the duplicate applications 
for membership, and examine, approve or disapprove 
thereof, and certify them in order and report 
thereon, to the Society or its Council, for approval. 
Before or after such report, he may require of the 
applicant for membership correction of his papers 
or further proofs. Upon the approval by the So- 
ciety or its Council of any applicant, the Registrar 
shall endorse upon the duplicate applications the 
date of the approval, and forward one duplicate to 
the Registrar General, and retain for the Society 
the other duplicate, causing the same, if the appli- 
cant is elected as an Associate, to be bound into 
books as the Council may direct. He shall notify 
the Secretary and Treasurer, and also the Registrar 
General, of each Associate elected, and of his resi- 
dence, place of business and post-office address, and 
of the date of election. He shall retain all such 
historical Information as shall accompany applica- 
tions for membership, and on request of the Histo- 
rian General or Historian, shall furnish copies 
thereof. He shall perform such other duties as his 
Society or its Council may require. He shall re- 
port in writing, at the annual meeting of his Society, 
and at such other times as the Society or its Coun- 
cil may direct. 



32 



Sec. 8. The Genealoo^ist shall examine and 
report to his Council upon all appeals from the 
decision or failure to act on the part of the Regis- 
trar, which shall be submitted to him, for that 
purpose, by the Council. 

Sec. 9. The Historian shall have the custody 
of all documents and papers relating to the gene- 
alogy and history of the first colonists, their 
ancestors and descendants, which may be in the 
possession of or loaned to his Society or its Coun- 
cil, and shall, when necessary, be subject to the 
inspection of the Genealogist. He shall also edit 
and publish such books, documents and papers as 
the Society or its Council may direct. He shall 
act as Necrologist. In case of the death of any 
member of the General Court, or any past Coun- 
cillor General, the Historian of the Society of 
which such person was an Associate shall furnish 
to the Historian General such necrolos^ical infor- 
mation as may be in his possession. He shall 
make a report in writing, at the annual meeting of 
the Society, and at such other times as the Society 
or its Council may direct, and a copy of such 
report and copies of all printed papers shall be 
sent at once to the Historian General for the in- 
formation of the General Court. 



33 

Sec. io. The Council of each Society of the 
Order shall exercise the powers of the Society, 
when the Society is not in session. Five of its 
members shall constitute a quorum of the Council. 
Meetings of the Council may be called by the Gov- 
ernor of the Society, or, at the request of five of its 
members, must be called by the Secretary. The 
Council may, by rule, order or resolution, provide 
for its own meetings. The Council may remove 
from office any Officer or Councillor, for any viola- 
tion of the Constitution or By-Laws of the Order, 
or for conduct unbecoming a patriot, or a good 
citizen, but only after an opportunity to be heard, 
and, pending the inquiry, it may suspend the 
person so charged and delegate his duties to 
another Associate. 

Sec. II. Each Society may provide for other 
Officers, and for a Deputy or Assistant to an Offi- 
cer of the Society, but no such Officer shall thereby 
become a member of the General Court, nor of 
the Council of his Society, but shall have only 
such other powers and perform such duties as his 
Society shall provide. 

Sec. 12. In case any person, elected as an 
Officer or Councillor of a Society, shall fail to file 
with its Secretary, within one month after notice 



34 

by mail of his election, an acceptance in writing, 
the Council shall appoint an Associate to fill the 
position until the next annual meeting of the So- 
ciety. The Council shall fill all vacancies in its num- 
bers, until the next annual meeting of the Society. 
Any Officer or Councillor may resign, by mailing 
his resignation to the Secretary of his Society. 

ARTICLE III. 

MEMBERSHIP. 

Section i. Every applicant for membership 
must apply in writing and in duplicate to a Society 
in the State, District, Territory or Country within 
whose jurisdiction he resides. If no Society 
exists therein, the applicant may apply to any 
Society. The applicant must state his age, 
residence, occupation, place of business, his post- 
office address, and such other information as the 
Society or the General Court may direct, or such as 
may be required by the Constitution or By-Laws of 
the Order. He must be recommended by two As- 
sociates, and the application must be presented to 
the Council of the Society, and shall be accompanied 
by such historical information concerning his ances- 
tors as the Society or its Council may request. The 
application shall be examined as the By-Laws of 



35 

the particular Society shall require, in order to as- 
certain the qualifications of the applicant, and shall 
be reported, approved or disapproved, to the Soci- 
ety or its Council for election. Such election must 
be by ballot, and one negative ballot in every five 
cast, or fivG negative ballots in all, shall reject the 
applicant, and he cannot again apply for member- 
ship within one year thereafter, nor to any other 
Society than that in which rejected, without its con- 
sent. Prior to the election of any Associate, one 
of the duplicates of the application papers shall be 
forwarded to and approved or disapproved by the 
Registrar General, subject to appeal to the General 
Court. If such appeal be decided against him, he 
cannot again apply for membership in the Order, 
within one year thereafter. After the election of 
an Associate, and payment by him of the initiation 
fee and one year's dues, and his signing the Consti- 
tution, in person or by proxy, he shall then become 
an Associate. Every Associate shall retain his 
membership in any Society to which admitted, until 
such connection is severed by resignation, transfer, 
suspension, dropping from the rolls or expulsion. 

Sec. 2. Any Associate in good standing, not in 
arrears or otherwise indebted to any Society or to 
the Order, may resign his membership in the Order, 



36 



by written notice to the Secretary of any Society in 
which he is enrolled. 

Sec. 3. Any person, an Associate of more than 
one Society, may resign his membership in any 
Society, in the same manner and on the same terms 
as he may resign his membership In the Order. 

Sec. 4. Each Society may provide for and reg- 
ulate the suspension or expulsion of its Associates, 
subject to an appeal to the General Court. 

ARTICLE IV. 

FUNDS. 

Section i. The initiation fee shall be five dollars. 
Each Society shall fix the amount of its annual 
dues, not exceeding five dollars, payable in advance ; 
provided that the dues, paid by an Associate 
elected within three months before the annual meet- 
ing of his Society, shall be In full of annual dues 
for the current year following such annual meet- 
ing. Associates shall pay dues to the several So- 
cieties In which they are enrolled. Each Society 
may provide for resident and non-resident members, 
and fix the dues for each class of members. Its non- 
resident membership to consist of all Associates resid- 
ing more than a certain distance, which each Society 
may determine for itself, from its headquarters. 



11 

Sec. 2. Any resident Associate may commute 
his annual dues by paying, at any time, a sum equal 
to ten years' annual dues, and shall thereupon be- 
come a life member, and shall thereafter be exempt 
from the payment of dues to the Society In which 
he shall have so commuted his dues. 

ARTICLE V. 

NOTICES. 

All notices, required by the Constitution or By- 
Laws of the Order, or the By-Laws of any Society, 
shall be mailed to the person to be notified, to the 
address he shall have furnished with his application 
papers, or afterwards to the Secretary of his Society, 
or to the Secretary General. The number of days' 
notice, which shall be deemed a due notice, shall be 
determined, for the General Court or Council 
General, by resolution, and, for any Society, or Its 
Council, by the By-Laws of the Society. 

ARTICLE VI. 

AMENDMENTS. 

These By-Laws may be amended at any annual 
meeting of the General Court, by a two thirds 
majority of all the votes cast, the vote being taken 
by Societies. 



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